Mythbusters (2 Cents Style): Can't We Negotiate?

It hasn't ever worked before. Can you think of one concrete example of any negotiation with Middle Eastern fanatical jihadist groups that has actually accomplished anything (for us, not the terrorists)? That's because it doesn't work. We give in a little bit, they calm down for a while, they eventually get violent again and want more. It's a well-established cycle; the question we should ask is: why?

Because of the core beliefs of these jihadist terrorists: their mission is to kill us...simply for existing. If we don't convert to Islam, that is.

Don't believe me? Then take it from Osama bin Laden himself: "The first thing that we are calling you to is Islam." By the way, this would include the brutal Sharia law, which I'll get into more in a future blog. Anyway, in the transcript of the bin Laden video referenced above, he rambles on at length about all the various evils of America, then finishes with "If you fail to respond to all these conditions, then prepare for fight with the Islamic Nation."

Convert or die.

There is no negotiation possible in such a stark clash of ideology. Rush Limbaugh put forth a parody of how ludicrous the negotiation mindset is in this situation:

Al-Qaeda's sworn mission is to kill us. That is the mission of militant Islam. It's to wipe out infidels, and we are the worst of all
because we are Christian and we are Western. Okay. We're going to negotiate with these people. Their starting point is: you're dead.
"We're not stopping 'til you're dead."
What's our counter? Do we say, "Uh, okay. How about, will you let us live for 50 years?"
"No. We're going to wipe you out in 30."
"Okay, well, uh, will you only take an arm from each of us for the first 50 years?"
"Nope. We're going to kill you all as soon as we can."
"No, no, no, no. That's not fair! We're negotiating with you. Will you settle for two arms and let us live?"
"Nope. Our mission is to kill you, infidel."
"Okay, uh, how about an arm and a leg and let us live for 50 years?"
"No! We are not compromising."
"Okay, how about if you kill half of us, the Republicans? If we give you the Republicans, will you --"
"No! We are going to kill all of you."
My point is, where do you negotiate with this? On what threshold or basis is there reason for any kind of settlement?

They want to kill us simply for being who we are, simply for existing. There is no negotiating with them. We either win by defeating them, or we lose - by dying.

There's my two cents.